The Lt. Columbo Forum

An area where fans from all over can ask each other questions and voice their own ideas and opinions on anything Columbo.

This Forum is fondly dedicated in memory of  "cassavetes45"  (Carleen Zink),
Columbo's greatest fan and a great friend to us all.
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Re: Exceptional camera work in the series

Nice points, If I may add a few humble choices of my own...

Death lends a hand- the slow motion murder & aftermath sequence (with great soundtrack by Gil Melle incidentally), where Brimmer plays out how he will dispose of the body- seen through the reflection in his eyes.

Greenhouse Jungle- the nighttime shots of LA, and driving through the hills combined again with a great soundtrack, make it watchable again and again (for me at least).

Short Fuse- The intro & a lot of nice combination shots and backgrounds pinewild/the power plant etc. And of course the murder scene-where the bomb is about to go off in the car- combined with the drama/tension of the thunderstorm, whilst Roger is looking pleased with himself in the club.

Publish or Perish: The split sequence murder scene of the hitman, and Riley Greenleaf (Jack Cassidy) creating drunken havoc (an alibi).
And the eerie scene where Jack Cassidy lights the cigarette and smiles (as the bomb goes off)- an ironic sequence considering his real life death by cigarette/fire not long after this was filmed, always makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.
A great actor and a sad and untimely death.

Re: Exceptional camera work in the series

I agree, $leeps, those are fantastic scenes. With Short Fuse, especially, I think the camera work really added something interesting to what would otherwise have been, to me, an unremarkable episode (well, Roddy Mcdowall and James Gregory made it good, too). The scene you pointed out in "Death Lends a Hand" is a favorite of mine as well, perhaps the best murder/cover-up scene in the whole series. Also, now that you mention it, that scene with Jack Cassidy in "Publish or Perish" is quite eerie; I had never made that connection before.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Re: Exceptional camera work in the series

Speaking of GREENHOUSE JUNGLE, the part with Arlene Martel walking very carefully through that solarium at night is pretty "atmospheric." Including that dramatic close-up, which really makes her look like a horror movie heroine.

(Notice how I used the word "solarium" instead of "greenhouse." Once you've heard one of those "superior" Ray Milland characters correct the way someone uses a word, it really stays with you, all joking aside.)

Re: Exceptional camera work in the series

Grant, I love that part in "Greenhouse" where Jarvis corrects Columbo. And Columbo's response where (if I remember correctly) he just mutters, "Solarium. I stand corrected." It's so hilarious how Columbo aggravates Jarvis to no end.

Re: Exceptional camera work in the series

I agree with most of these. One more I'll add (slightly less obvious) is the way the last few minutes of 'Suitable for Framing' are built up - very neatly put together, with a very memorable final shot, slightly elevated above everyone in the room, which freezes as the credits start.

Re: Exceptional camera work in the series

I had never considered it before, tffff, but now that you mention it, that is an outstanding shot. I think the beginning of "Suitable for Framing" is remarkable as well, not so much with any specific use of the camera, but I love that the first few moments present the murder with absolutely no background information on either the victim or the murderer, and no music or sound except the victim playing the piano, and then the gunshot.

Re: Exceptional camera work in the series

I've mentioned the film before in other ways, but those shots of the paintings always remind me of the movie CASTLE KEEP, with Peter Falk himself and Patrick (BLUEPRINT FOR MURDER) O'Neal.

Re: Exceptional camera work in the series

I'm not much of a movie fan myself, but I've been sort of curious about "Castle Keep". If it has both Peter Falk and Patrick O'Neal (who, along with Forrest Tucker, I felt made "Blueprint for Murder" a more interesting episode than it would have been without their presence), perhaps I should check it out!

Re: Exceptional camera work in the series

Some good scenes mentioned so far in this thread...

I think I should add 'Murder by the Book', (directed by a certain young Steven Spielberg) a couple of scenes stand out for me.
The intro which begins by panning across the room, the sound of the typewriter a constant in the background, creates a good deal of suspense. The movie starts and finishes on the portrait of Mrs Melville.

The dream-like sequence where Ken Franklin drives Jim Ferris out to his home at the lake, (where he talks about de ja vu), the shots at Big Bear Lake are stunning.

The shot where Columbo first meets Ken where the camera is low down looking up always makes me smile, as Ken looks Columbo up and down.

When Ken murders Ms La sanka rows out into the lake and drops her in, this shot stands out for me too. The lighting on the water makes this a memorable shot IMO

Re: Exceptional camera work in the series

If you like or at least don't mind very arty WWII films, and ones full of things that either don't belong or SUPPOSEDLY don't belong in WWII (the CATCH-22 / KELLY'S HEROES kind), you could very easily like CASTLE KEEP.

Re: Exceptional camera work in the series

$leeps, I agree about those scenes in "Murder by the Book". I especially like that driving scene you mentioned, not only for the eerie atmosphere, but also because of the subtle foreshadowing of the final clue with Jim's reference to feeling a sense of deja vu. Another scene from "Murder by the Book" that stands out for me is the part where Ken is tearing up Jim's office; aside from the great camera work, I love the devilish glee Jack Cassidy exhibits making that mess, with all subsequent similar scenes in the series looking mundane by comparison.
I do like older, arty films, Grant, so it definitely sounds like one I could get into, though I'm not so into the WW2 setting. I should try it out, though; at the very least it will give me a broader perspective of Peter Falk's career (admittedly, I haven't seen him in too much other than "Columbo").